(CNN) - Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin is coming under fire from state lawmakers, including members of her own party, over her decision to spend half of the final three days of the legislative session to headline a pro-life dinner in Indiana.

"There are some concerns [in the Capitol] about the focus of our chief executive because she's taken a speaking engagement in Indiana for a 36-hour period with only 72 hours left in the legislative session," state Rep. Jay Ramras of Fairbanks told the Anchorage Daily News.

Earlier, Palin had opted to skip a number of events, including the annual Conservative Political Action conference in Washington. Her aides had cited the demands of the state's legislative session. This weekend, she defended her decision. "I'll be gone for one day. I already have been on record with lawmakers on this," she told the ADN. "I told lawmakers, you know what, 'Please, don't make me feel that I have to ask you permission, lawmakers, to leave the capital city.' "

Two thorny issues remain unresolved as the session draws to a close. Lawmakers want to accept all the stimulus money that has been offered the state, while Palin wants to reject about a third of the nearly $931 million the federal government has offered. And her controversial pick for attorney general - the outspoken Wayne Anthony Ross - has not yet been confirmed.

soundoff(299 Responses)

Sarah Palin does what she thinks is best for her and her political career and to heck with everything else. Sarah is out for Sarah.

April 13, 2009 01:58 pm at 1:58 pm |

keeth in california

Ideology trumps politics and the people. Certainly not surprised here.

April 13, 2009 01:58 pm at 1:58 pm |

Aaron

Go Sarah! Your blunderings will keep the Republican party shrinking.

If Sarah and her ilk keep getting lots of attention, the Green Party and the Libertarian Party will both be bigger than the Republican party within 10 years.

I know plenty of republicans and they really aren't that dumb.

April 13, 2009 01:58 pm at 1:58 pm |

Irene

Don't you get it GOP? Palin doesn't care about anybody but herself. She doesn't care about her kids (parading them like that at the GOP convention,) She doesn't care about her running mate – she slammed him as soon as the campaign was over. She doesn't care about the people in Alsaka who sadly elected her as governor. All she cares about is winning. This is why the GOP is not a viable party any more. She's pandering to the religous conservative nuts because she thinks they will put her in national office. She's gonna be a sore loser when she realizes that we're done with conservative Christians and their wars on everything!

April 13, 2009 01:59 pm at 1:59 pm |

eileen

I say let her go...the more time she spends away from Alaska the more time the folks up there gather the strength to toss her out on her butt come the next election. Lose she will, and then let her try to run for national office.

Between this, her kids, her sister-in-law and her lies I believe she has firmly established herself as a walking joke.

April 13, 2009 02:01 pm at 2:01 pm |

Kevin in NoDak

Interesting.... They think she ought to stay in Alaska... and so do I.

Sometimes Republicans & Democrats CAN agree.

April 13, 2009 02:04 pm at 2:04 pm |

rick

Sarah Palin is the best soap opera we having going. I hope she continues her ridiculous quest for national office. We all need a good laugh in these difficult times.

April 13, 2009 02:06 pm at 2:06 pm |

Ms. White

@ AL
I do not remember Obama and his staff telling Katie Couric..."I'll get back to ya”; or Charlie Gibson..." What is the Bush Doctrine"?
She not a threat to anyone put herself and this great country...she will never be taken seriously by anyone other then her wacky base followers.
But I do want her to run for the laughs!!!!!! laughing now

April 13, 2009 02:09 pm at 2:09 pm |

Geoffrey 813715

Folks, Jay Ramras hasn't done anything but present legislation to make his business grow since he was voted into office. He has started his run for governor over the last few months by suddenly developing a social conscience. Palin isn't a saint by a long shot but Ramras should be taken with a pound of salt.

April 13, 2009 02:10 pm at 2:10 pm |

gerry mcgarvey

Oh, it's okay "she's hot", remember the campaign buttons and signs at the Republican convention. She is the right's answer to our problems, can we really take these people seriously?

April 13, 2009 02:10 pm at 2:10 pm |

Joey

Bahahaha Dems make me laugh. they say stand up for what you believe in then when a republican stands up for what she believes in its all the sudden a bad thing. well guess what? Obama has not done anything to make this nation better, at least Palin is trying-and doing the right thing. has the economic system been getting better since Obama became Pres? Obama is all talk and nothing to stand on. Sorry Dems but you voted in a complete goof

April 13, 2009 02:10 pm at 2:10 pm |

Alan

I find it interesting when people bemoan the "hatchet job" others are doing to Sarah Palin. If I recall correctly, it seems it was Sarah Palin calling Obama a socialist, then saying he "pals around with terrorists." Poor widdle Sarah is only getting what she dished out and it's obvious she can't take it.

April 13, 2009 02:13 pm at 2:13 pm |

Jackie from Durham, NC

She is moving the Republican Party one step closer to the edge of the cliff. The party has not relevance, and is dead – by anyone's definition.

April 13, 2009 02:14 pm at 2:14 pm |

ChicagoJim

There's one thing that Sarah Palin does exceedingly well. She manages to entice the news media into giving her free, expansive, and frequent publicity. Enough about this nonentity who, I pray, will never be elected to any national office.

April 13, 2009 02:15 pm at 2:15 pm |

Bill

Is she a State Official or is she still running for a Federal Position? Sounds to me like she should be paying the state back on these little trips that are only for her best interests. Fact that she won't accept the Federal Stimul is more a matter of principle to her than what the state and its people diserve.

April 13, 2009 02:15 pm at 2:15 pm |

JLP

What an embarrassment to the people of Alaska – she just doesn't get it that people are tired of being used by politicians and she is not even a very good one at that!

April 13, 2009 02:17 pm at 2:17 pm |

Angela

A pro-life dinner is more important than resolving these legislative issues? In other words, lining up support from the right wing for 2012 is more important than, you know, Alaska's needs.

April 13, 2009 02:19 pm at 2:19 pm |

Texas Annie *-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

Sarah reminds me of an irresponsible argumentative teen who whines "I'm 16, I'm almost an adult, I can make my own decisions"... well, sure, but are those decisions made based on logic & facts, or are they just based on the whim of the moment & what you want to do no matter whether it might be right or wrong????

April 13, 2009 02:22 pm at 2:22 pm |

Annette

....And just think she could have become the next VP?? This Gov. is thinking of herself, and herself only...she proved that a long while back during the Presidential race.

April 13, 2009 02:23 pm at 2:23 pm |

right wing white people on CNN

A french Queen once said, " Let them eat cake".

Thanks for nothing Palin.

April 13, 2009 02:24 pm at 2:24 pm |

andrew kaye

I am so thankful that I do not live in Alaska..only because if I did, I would be spending every waking minute protesting that brainless fool that has somehow become Governor.....

April 13, 2009 02:25 pm at 2:25 pm |

RMG

I swear...she is the gift that just keeps giving. Makes me a very happy liberal. :)

April 13, 2009 02:26 pm at 2:26 pm |

Alaskan

"Alaska has no budget deficit because the governor had set up a rainy day fund two years ago for emergency such as an economic down turn the rest of the country and the world is going through."

Umm... Alaska is relatively well off because a major portion of its revenue comes from taxes on oil and other extractive industries. Oil prices have been rising, ergo Alaska's coffers have been doing well. This relationship between Alaska's budget and oil revenues has been in place since the 1970s, long before Palin came on the scene. (In fact, Alaskans have a liberal - by AK standards - government to thank for the permanent fund dividend checks, which are also funded off the oil revenues.)

BTW, out of 350+ million acres in Alaska, only 3 million is held in private hands. The rest is owned by the state, federal government, or First Nations entities. People who trot out Alaska as an exemplar of the success of Republican "free" market policies are wildly, wildly uninformed. Almost as much as Palin herself.

April 13, 2009 02:26 pm at 2:26 pm |

Mary

Sarah is trying to become president in 2012. Let her do her thing. After all, Alaskan does not need representation until it is time for her to run again.. So let her campaign.

April 13, 2009 02:29 pm at 2:29 pm |

PDizzle in Maine

It isn't ATTACKing the governor to simply report what she says and does. Though it tends to have that effect.